Weed & Pest Management

A cross-industry taskforce is calling for UK oilseed rape growers to join an ambitious on-farm monitoring and trials programme in the war against cabbage stem flea beetle.

Pest control expert and Dealey managing director Martin Cobbald says when it comes to insect pests, temperature is key.

Wet weather throughout the autumn created ideal conditions for slugs. The challenging conditions have also meant that farmers have struggled to get winter wheat drilled. But the wet weather has delivered a double whammy, causing excessive water run-off in some areas.

Harvest 2021 trials at AHDB Strategic Cereal Farms will focus on the prevention, detection and control of pests, weeds and diseases – key components of integrated pest management (IPM).

Farmers are advised that the spread of rodenticide resistance rats has taken a “surprising and troubling” turn, according to Campaign for Responsible Rodenticide Use chairman Dr Alan Buckle.

AHDB’s light leaf spot preliminary forecast shows that the disease risk to winter oilseed rape (OSR) ranks among the lowest recorded in recent years.

Independent trials conducted in drought prone soils, comparing the performance of commonly used bio-stimulants on Skyfall winter wheat with a 50% fungicide programme, have found AminoA FLO to be one of the best performing and most consistent bio-stimulants in the study.

Oilseed rape growers and agronomists can now calculate the optimum timing to target cabbage stem flea beetle larvae hatch, with the chance to limit stem infestation.

Some winter oilseed rape may already have 10% of the crop showing phoma symptoms and may need treating, according to AHDB’s forecast for the disease.

Continue to hold off drilling winter wheat fields where blackgrass is a worry until early October where possible, or mid-October in the worst fields, says agronomy firm ProCam.

With many new crops of oilseed rape already in the ground and the remainder of a predicted winter crop of just 300,000 ha following close behind, the current focus is on maximising establishment rates and safeguarding the ongoing viability of crops by reducing the competitive pressure of volunteer weeds. ADAMA’s Bill Lankford shares his thoughts on the latest herbicide advice and active ingredient recommendations.

Growers taking advantage of warm soils and good growing conditions to plant extra oilseed rape area, or with later emerging plants, should be aware of increasing cabbage stem flea beetle activity.